Talking Blues
by Chou
Summary: In an era of jazz, booze, dames, and guns, a young con-man named Monkey D. Luffy leads a crew of thieves to a big heist. An AU fic.
1. Prologue: Gold Roger's Last Words

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, Oda-sensei does. I didn't draw the picture I got the idea for this from, Oda-sensei did. I do own this story, however.  
  
Talking Blues  
By Chou  
  
Prologue – Gold Roger, the Thief King  
  
They had called Gold Roger the Thief King. He had stolen riches that most people couldn't imagine, and he had done it with style. Wealth. Fame. Power. All these things were his.  
  
Until he got caught.  
  
It had been a set up that had caught him. A high society party, with the top ranking police and the top ranking businessmen, and the top ranking everything, and they were carrying more riches than God. Which would've been a drop in the bucket to Gold Roger, but as he used to say, you could never have enough.  
  
Some said he had to have known it was a trap. Some said it was just a matter of time before the criminal got caught. Most of the former opinion were usually thieves, and most of the latter opinion were usually Feds, not that it matters.  
  
What matters is the last thing Gold Roger said before his execution. There was a large crowd, you see. He was, after all, a celebrity, and a popular one at that, despite the Feds and cops trying to put a stop to that. But that's not important, really. The important thing is that he was asked one last time where he hid his stash.   
  
"You want my treasure?" he had asked with the grin only a true gentleman thief can pull off "You'll have to look for it, you know. If it helps, it's all in one piece, and whoever finds it can have it. Now let's get this execution over with!" he said with a great bellowing laugh.  
  
And as his questioner sputtered in indignation, and as Gold Roger laughed like thunder, and the crowd gasped and cheered and cried, the electric chair did its work, and Gold Roger became a legend in the flick of a switch, the grin staying on even as the voltage took his life.  
  
And his treasure, his stash, became the most sought after score in the history of heists. The "Big Score of Big Scores". And they called it One Piece.  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
The idea or this fic came from an OP color spread of the crew in these suits that look straight out of The Sting, and they're sort of lounging around with bags of loot. Usopp's even got this cool little derby on. Anyway, I thought, "Man, they look like the bee's knees…wait, that's it, a heist fic!"  
  
See, I love heist movies. The Sting, Ocean's Eleven, Snatch…well, Snatch was sorta a heist movie, I guess it was more of a British crime flick. Weird one though, with Brad Pitt speaking all weird and all. Come to think of it, he was in Ocean's Eleven too…  
  
*cough* Yeah, anyway. So, I was thinking, hey, I love heist flicks, I love One Piece, combine the two, bang, it'll be the bee's knees and the wasp's nipples.   
  
Now, there are some weird things in here. 1926 Bentleys, for instance…well, I'm trying to graft a 1920s/30s/40s US onto One Piece. Unfortunately, I get most of these time periods confused, so, really, it's more about a general feel of tommy guns, gin joints, dames, swing, the slang, stuff like that, than any specific time period.   
  
Also, this is a somewhat modified OP world. There's still the four Blues, but they're more like the hemispheres. There's a lot more land, really, although there's still boat travel. There's also airplanes too, something new to the OP world (would've made that Sky Island thing easier, I dare say).  
  
Oh, and the Marines. They don't exist…as such. Now they're just the Feds of this world. Pretty much what Marines are to pirates, the Feds are to the thief gangs.  
  
Expect to see some familiar faces with new twists on them, and expect a whole new take on One Piece with this fic. Although I might hit all the various Arcs…nobody says I have to do them in any sort of order ;)  
  
In fact, wait till you see what Arc I start with, after I do the Shanks story…  
  
Next chapter: The Red Haired Gang, their favorite bar, and a snot nosed street corner newspaper kid named Monkey D. Luffy…


	2. Chapter 1: The Red Haired Gang

Talking Blues  
  
By Chou  
  
Chapter 1 – The Red Haired Gang  
  
Shanks ran, one arm holding the bag of ill-gotten gains over his shoulder, the other keeping his trademark straw hat on his red-haired head. Behind him, the shouts of the long arm of the law were being drowned out by his laughter and the laughter of his crew. He knew bullets would follow the shouts, but he couldn't really say he cared. After all, Yasopp could outshoot anyone on earth, and if he couldn't, Ben Beckman could. So he laughed, and the bag of loot on his back jangled. It had been a good heist, with careful planning, almost no trouble, and a good haul. The police behind them were something that had just popped up, but in his eyes, that just made things more interesting.   
  
Shots rang out behind him. He didn't flinch as he felt a bullet zip by his cheek. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yasopp turn and fire with two pistols while running backwards. Shanks grinned; that was a cool trick. Up ahead, he saw Lucky Roo pull up with the get away car. Shanks loved the car, a 1926 Bentley, bright apple red in color. It was his pride and joy, from its gleaming fenders to the dragon's head hood ornament he had put on to make it look even cooler. Shanks and Yasopp dived into the car's waiting interior. Beckman jumped on the back, and provided cover fire with his shotgun as they sped away to freedom.  
  
  
Party's Bar was roaring, which wasn't anything new. Jazz and swing had hit the East Blue like a hurricane, and every joint shook to it like a leaf in the wind. Shanks downed another shot of whiskey and laughed as Lucky tore up the dance floor with three fine dames. Lucky, with his massive girth, wasn't much of a runner, but he was a hell of a driver, fighter, dancer, and although Shanks didn't like to think about it much, a lover. Ben Beckman, his right hand, wailed on his sax with enough soul to fill Heaven. Shanks smiled at the irony of his quiet, dry witted right hand being so damned good at playing from the heart and soul.   
  
"Another drink, big guy?" came a voice from in front of him. Makino jiggled a bottle of whiskey invitingly. Shanks smiled and raised both his hat and his glass.  
  
"You know it, Makino. So, how's tricks?" he said. Makino was special to him, as special as a girl had ever been. Shanks wasn't a bad guy, outside of the whole robbery thing, but he was on the whole too easy going for most girls to like for more than a one-night thing. But Makino…if either of them had been the marrying type, they would've been hitched a long time ago. She was everything he liked in a gal and more stuff besides.  
  
She laughed and refilled his glass. He raised it to his lips.  
   
And that's when a human cannonball hit him with a yell of "SHANNNNNKS!"  
  
Monkey D. Luffy was a newsboy, selling papers on the corner. He was an orphan who Shanks and the gang hadn't so much adopted, but had adopted them after Shanks had broken up some local bullies trying to get his hard won coin. The kid had tailed on him like a shadow afterwards, and the gang had adopted him, half because he was fun as hell to tease, and half because he was a good kid, really. Dense as a post sometimes, but a good kid. Besides, Luffy didn't have anyone else. His brother had hopped the first ship out and rumor had it was now the semi-legendary thug "Fiery" Portgas D. Ace.   
  
"What'd ya bring me!? Is it jake? When can I join th' gang, huh? I'm big enough, an' I gotta punch like a bullet, I don't even need knuckle dusters, c'mon, let me join, pleasepleaseplease!" the kid was talking a mile a minute.  
  
Shanks held up a hand and shook his head. "No way kiddo. You're way too young for this biz, and you got the sneaking around ability like a bull in a china shop, kid. No deal."  
  
"Shucks, Shanks! That ain't no fair, y'know? I can learn how to sneak around so quiet, a mouse won't hear me!" Luffy pouted. Shanks winked at Makino and took the whiskey bottle from her, pouring some of the contents into his glass and sliding it to Luffy.  
  
"Hey, someday kiddo, I'll let you, honest. Here, try this, um, juice. It'll put hair on your chest. Make ya a man." Before the words had left his mouth Luffy had tossed down the alcohol.   
  
It's hard to tell what was louder, Shanks' laughter or Luffy's coughing and sputtering.  
  
"Ptew! PTEW!  Shanks! Why are you tryin' ta poison me, huh!? That's too low down!" Luffy almost took a swing at his laughing straw hated idol.  
  
"Hahahaha, ah, c'mon kiddo, that was nothing for a tough mug like you, right?" Shanks tousled the kid's already unruly black hair with his hand.  
  
Luffy snorted "If you're gonna try ta poison me, I'm taking my biznext elsewhere!" he stomped off to the other crew members, who tried not to laugh at his story. Shanks barely resisted the urge to call "It's 'business', not 'biznext'" after him.  
  
He turned to Makino, his silliest and most dashing grin on his face. "I love teasing that kid." and they both laughed.  
  
  
Luffy slouched over to Ben Beckman, who had taken a break from bringing down the neighborhood with his sax. He sat there, smoking, his only concession to the exertion being the unbuttoning of his collar and ever so slight loosening of his tie.  
  
"What's the good word, kid?" he said, giving a rare smile at Luffy through the smoke.  
  
Luffy kicked at the floor. "Ah, Shanks won't let me join the gang."  
  
Ben shrugged "Hey, good for him."  
  
Luffy looked at him angrily. "It's not good, I wanna join!"  
  
Ben stubbed his cigarette out on the sole of his shoe. "Listen, kid, I'll tell you why it's good. You may think this gang is all chases, money, and dames, but there's a lot of hard work involved in pulling a good heist. It's dangerous too, since you never know if you're going to get caught by the fuzz, the mob, whoever. Shanks, he just doesn't want you getting yourself killed when you're so young. Cut him a break."  
  
Luffy scratched his nose as he thought about this.   
  
"But I wanna join!" he said finally, throwing his hands up in the air, exasperated.  
  
Ben sighed, and stubbed out his cigarette. This, he thought, was why he never had kids.  
  
  
"Hey, who serves the drinks in this joint?" came a harsh voice from the door. Then they walked in, all pinstripes and hidden switchblades and grins like sharks.   
  
"I do. What can I do you for, Mister…?" Makino said with forced nonchalance.  
  
"Higuma. Name's Higuma. See, me and my boys, we're generous. We've moved into this town, see, and we're willing to offer you…protection. For a reasonable sum." their leader said with an unwholesome grin.  
  
Makino's eyes narrowed slightly. "Protection from what?"  
  
Shanks sighed inwardly. Better try to fix this situation, he thought.  
  
"Hey gents" he said to the gangsters, giving them what he hoped was a disarming smile as he held up the whiskey bottle "how about you just have a drink, hey?" Shanks had a good nose for danger, and this situation stank. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Luffy was watching, but he also saw that Ben had him protected. Good.   
  
It also meant that Luffy was watching when Higuma pulled a gun and shot the bottle Shanks offered, shattering it and splashing it's contents all over Shanks. He lowered his head so his hat covered his eyes and breathed in, letting the anger fade before he lifted his head, regret written on his face. Makino rushed around the bar  
  
"Damn it…" he said, wistfully "what a mess. Hey, Makino, got a mop? I'll clean this up, ok?"  
  
He started to get up, but stopped at the feel of a gun against his head. His gang froze to the outward eye, but he knew that they were ready to go since the bastards had walked in. The gun against his head didn't mean jack to him. If it came to that, they'd cut this Higuma mug down before he pulled the trigger.  
  
Either that, or they'd be around to avenge their boss.  
  
He heard shots fired, and bottles breaking, Makino held back a scream next to him, and Luffy gasped. When the shooting stopped, Higuma lifted the gun from his head and walked his gang out.  
  
"So, protection payments start next week. See you then." He called out over his shoulder, laughing and slamming the door on the way out.  
  
Shanks lifted his hat and shook some of the whiskey off before shoving it back on his head. And then he laughed, and his gang joined him.  
  
"Damn, boss, how could you waste good booze like that!" Yasopp was bent double with laughter.  
  
Makino handed him a rag and he wiped his face before smiling at his gang. "Hahaha, don't worry about that, with the money we pulled in this time, we can buy more booze than God!"   
  
Luffy ran up to him then. Shanks was mildly surprised by how angry the kid looked.  
  
"What was that!? Those guys trashed the bar, and you didn't lift a finger! I thought you guys were tough!"  
  
Shanks shrugged "He was just a two bit gangster, kid. Just trying to pull some protection racket. The fuzz'll pick him up before he can make good on it. Killing a guy over booze, that's not how we do things around here."  
  
Luffy screwed up his face in an angry pout and ran off, yelling, "I'm too dismembered to stick around here!"   
  
Shanks watched him go, amused, but not concerned at the fickle kid. He waited until Luffy had got the door open before shouting. "It's disillusioned, kid!" at the tiny form's retreating back.   
  
  
Another week, a new heist, and another trip to Party's Bar. Shanks tried to tell himself it was a coincidence that he happened to show up on the two-bit gangster's collection day. Yeah. Pure coincidence. And that crowd gathered on the sidewalk outside Party's…that crowd of toughs wearing pinstripes. That was just coincidence too. Yeah.  
  
Like hell.  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Well, this shows the grifter take on Shanks and his gang, and even ends with a cliffhanger, although any OP fan worth their straw hats should know what the outcome is. Or do they? That's what I love about AU stories; that history can be screwed around with.   
  
Hahaha, don't worry, what happens with Shanks will follow the main story.   
  
Kinda.  
  
Also, you may be wondering about Luffy's way of talking. The answer to this is that Luffy has even less of an education here than he did in One Piece, and the misuse of words comes from the fact that he sees a lot of newspaper articles with big words, and gets them mixed up. 


	3. Chapter 2: Passing the Hat

Talking Blues  
By Chou  
  
Chapter 2 – Passing the Hat  
  
Luffy saw stars when Higuma's shoe connected with his ribs.   
  
"Stupid, kid. Real stupid, mouthing off like that." Higuma said in a mock disapproving voice.  
  
"Fer…ferget you." Luffy mumbled through his puffed lips and few remaining baby teeth.  
  
Higuma's highly witty response consisted of yet another kick to the ribs.  
  
"What have you got to say now, kid? Sticking up for those gutless barflies…real stupid."  
  
"Ta hell wit' ya! Stop insinuatin' Shanks!" Luffy scrambled to his feet and swung at Higuma, barely missing.  
  
Higuma kicked him again in the ribs.  
  
Luffy looked over to where Makino was being held against the wall of the bar, an angry bruise forming on her face in retaliation for kicking one of the goons in the family jewels. Hard. He tried to get up, before they hurt her, but he couldn't, he didn't have anything left in him.   
  
"Ah. So this is why Luffy wasn't waiting on the steps. And by the way kid, it's "insulting" not "insinuating"." Luffy looked up in surprise at the voice that came from behind the crowd of gangsters.   
  
Higuma looked up from the blood on his shoe in surprise, before smiling. "Oh, look. It's the barflies. Sorry, but your bar's closed."  
  
Shanks stood there, Ben, Yasopp, and Lucky at his back. Shanks wore an unbuttoned black suit jacket over his white shirt for once, but his trademark straw hat and lack of tie stayed the same.   
  
Shanks looked at Makino's face carefully. He saw the bruise, and his eyes narrowed.  
  
Then he saw the bruised, battered mess that was Luffy.  
  
"Your pet kid here, he started mouthing off to us for calling you lushes a bunch of gutless barflies. So we took him out and taught him a lesson." Shanks barely heard Higuma taunting voice.  
  
Higuma tapped his foot impatiently. "Well? You just going to stand there, or have you got something you wanna say, barfly?"  
  
One of Higuma's thugs pulled out a pistol and held it to Shanks head. "You listenin' to the boss, chump?"  
  
Shanks' hat covered his eyes when he spoke. "You any good with that?"  
  
The thug was taken aback "What?"  
  
Shanks didn't look up, but kept talking "I'm asking…if you're any good with that gun. If you are…then let's bet with our lives."  
  
"Shut up!" The thug yelled, and a gunshot cracked the air.  
  
Yasopp blew the smoke off his gun barrel. The thug was dead before he hit the ground.  
  
Higuma looked at the dead man, then incredulously at Shanks' gang. "What the hell!?"  
  
Shanks threw his jacket off and rolled up his sleeves. Lucky dropped a lead pipe out of his sleeves, Yasopp drew another pistol, and Ben brought out a shotgun from God knows where. Shanks jerked a thumb at himself and spoke.  
  
"Listen pal, you can wreck some bottles, spill booze on me, trash a bar…that's all jake. But when you hurt my friends, especially kids and gals…I won't let you off!"  
  
Higuma and his thugs were stunned silent for a minute, before Higuma let out a forced laugh. "Nice speech, barfly…get 'em, boys!"  
  
Shanks barely turned to his gang. "The creampuffs are yours, I'll get the ones holding Makino. Ben, get Luffy the hell out of here." His gang nodded.  
  
Shanks drew a knife from somewhere inside his shirt and threw it at the man holding Makino against the wall. It caught him in the shoulder, and he let go of Makino with a yell of pain. Before he could draw a weapon, Shanks rushed over and planted a right hook across the man's jaw, dropping him like a stone.  
  
"You okay, Makino?" he asked, one hand straightening his hat while the other held her by the shoulder.  
  
"Fine, I'm fine…go get Luffy, he's worse off than me." She pointed behind Shanks. He smiled.  
  
"That's what I love about you, lady…always looking out for others." He said before giving her a quick kiss on her uninjured cheek and rushing off to help the rest of his gang.  
  
He saw that the fight was almost over. Ben had emptied two shells into the same amount of thugs and was now using his shotgun as a club, slowly working his way towards where Luffy was on the ground, looking up wide-eyed at the fight. Yasopp was empting his pistols into the thugs, while Lucky swung his pipe at any who got within striking distance, giving Yasopp time to reload.  
  
Soon, there were no bandits left standing except Higuma. The only snag was that he was holding a gun to Luffy's head.   
  
"Ok, the jig is up, barfly. One wrong move, and this kid's got a new hole in his head." Higuma gloated at them.  
  
Shanks got ready to act as unobtrusively as possible. He forced a smile and spoke lightly to stall for time. "Hey, Luffy…thought you had a punch like a bullet, even without knuckle dusters?"  
  
"Shut UP, ok? They caught me by surprise, is all!" Luffy shouted. Shanks almost winced at how few teeth the kid had left.  
  
Higuma tightened his hold on Luffy's neck and cocked the hammer to the pistol. Shanks heard Yasopp click back the hammers of his own guns.  
  
"Stay cool, Yasopp." Shanks said without turning.   
  
There was a tense pause that seemed to last an hour. Then, with lightning speed, Shanks drew a knife and threw it at Higuma, who saw the movement, and shot at Shanks. The knife hit Higuma in the face, throwing his aim off enough so that the bullet slammed into Shanks' left shoulder. Higuma released Luffy and staggered into the street.   
  
He only saw the truck coming at the last second. Shanks didn't bother to shout a warning.  
  
Luffy ran to Shanks, who scooped him into his good arm. Shanks noticed the tears pouring out of the kid's eyes and smiled.  
  
"Hey there, Luffy. It's ok. Really. You're gonna be ok." He said gently.  
  
"But…Shanks!" Luffy choked out between sobs. Then he saw the arm that had been shot, the blood staining Shanks' white shirt. "Your arm!"  
  
Shanks laughed gently and hugged Luffy closer. "It's nothing…as long as you're safe."  
  
  
The following Tuesday, Shanks and his gang said goodbye to Party's for the last time. The police had tolerated Shanks' gang, since they weren't trouble makers and always robbed outside the city, and they were grateful for the dealing with of Higuma and his gang, but there had been dead men in the streets, so Shanks had best leave before the Feds came in.   
  
Shanks had said goodnight to Makino the night before. They had drank, and laughed, and talked about old times in Makino's room above the bar, and as the sun rose, they made love. It wasn't a real goodbye…Shanks would be back someday when the heat died down, and he'd write…Makino was his girl, through and through, and he was her man.   
  
The Red Haired gang drank on the house that night. They spent most of the time helping themselves to drinks and taking bets on what was going on between the bartender and their boss upstairs.  
  
The hard part was saying goodbye to Luffy. He had recovered well enough, and new teeth were coming in, but it was going to break his heart to see his idols go, and Shanks knew it.  
  
"You know you can't come with us, kiddo. We gotta skidoo out of town as soon as possible, unless we want the fuzz breathing down our necks. More so than usual, anyway." Shanks said as he and Luffy watched the gang load up the Bentley for traveling.  
  
"Yeah, I knows that. I wouldn't ask you anyway. I'm gonna be my own man, and I'm gonna be a better thief than you, you just watch!" Luffy said in a boastful voice Shanks saw through in a second.  
  
"Oh really? Nah, a guy like you? You can't sneak around for beans, kiddo." Shanks said, smiling.  
  
Luffy turned, full of indignation. "Sez who!? You'll see…I'm gonna be the greatest thief that ever lived! Like that Gold Roger guy! And while I'm at it, I'm gonna find One Piece! Yeah! One Piece! I'll be the Thief King!" he shouted, causing the gang to turn in surprise and amusement.  
  
Shanks laughed. "Hahaha, you don't say…well then…" he tugged his straw hat off and shoved it on Luffy's head. "Tell you what, kid. When you do that, return this hat to me? In the meantime, keep it safe, kiddo. That hat's worth more than any score to me."  
  
The hat hid Luffy's tears as he nodded. Shanks nodded, and jumped into the now ready Bentley, giving Makino a wave as he did so. Then the Red Haired gang drove off, Lucky at the wheel. Makino and Luffy watched him go, and Luffy promised to himself that he'd make good on his vow…he was gonna be the Thief King, come Hell or high water  
  
  
Ben lit a cigarette, despite Yasopp's complaints that they stunk up the car. "You know," he said with a glance to Shanks "that kid's going to make it big."  
  
Shanks sighed and turned to Ben "Yeah, he reminds me of myself when I was his age." He paused. "Of course, I knew what words were what…"  
  
And the gang laughed as they drove out of town.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Well, the stage is set, the romance is dawned…time to get to the actual story, huh?  
  
Ok, you'll notice I let Shanks keep his arm. This is because:  
  
A) A one armed pirate can deal with it, but a one armed thief is in a bit of trouble, huh?  
B) You can't really have a giant sea monster in a pseudo New York setting…unless you count the alligators in the sewers :)  
  
Oh, and this is the last chapter that I already had written on vacation, so after this, its all new to me, other than the general plot and some specifics :)  
  
Next chapter: Luffy starts gathering his own gang for a daring heist!


	4. Chapter 3: The Three Players Are Ready

Talking Blues  
By Chou  
  
Chapter 3 – The Three Players Are Ready  
  
"EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it! New casino opens in Rainbase, Alabasta! Biggest casino in the world!" a diminutive newsboy shouted at the corner of a busy intersection. He had gathered up breath for another attention grabbing shouting session when a voice cut him off.  
  
"Hey, I'll take one." The newsboy turned to see a smiling young man with his hands shoved in his pockets. A straw hat sat easily on top of the young man's wild black hair. The kid's eyes widened in recognition. Monkey D. Luffy was something of a celebrity in the city.  
  
"Sure, Mister Luffy. That'll be 1 Berry, if ya please." He stuck out one tiny hand palm up, and handed the newspaper to Luffy with the other. Luffy flipped him a Berry coin and tucked the newspaper under his arm as he walked off.   
  
"Thanks, kiddo." He called over his shoulder and the newsboy beamed. Then he gathered all the air in his tiny lungs and shouted the headlines to passerby.  
  
  
Monkey D. Luffy strolled easily to the steps of Party's Bar and sat down. He read the front page of the newspaper, taking in the article and picture about the biggest casino in the world. His already wide grin grew even bigger.   
  
After Shanks left, Luffy had taken it upon himself to learn all he could about grifting, thievery, and big cons. He had traveled a bit, but like Shanks before him, had made this city, and specifically, Party's Bar, his home base. He'd done some small jobs, with some nice payoffs, but mostly he had just wanted to get his name out there a bit before he went in for a big score. Now, the chance he had been waiting for was staring him in the face in grainy black and white. After finishing the article, he read the funnies as usual, and went inside Party's, his grin ear to ear.  
  
  
Makino looked up as Luffy entered. The years had been kind to Makino, and other than somewhat longer hair, she hadn't changed much from Luffy's childhood. She had gotten a few letters from Shanks, but not many. After the fracas with Higuma's gang, Shanks' gang was on the run most of the time, which made letters a rare luxury. But they came, without expecting a return letter, and she didn't ask for much more, really.   
  
Luffy broke her out of her reverie by tossing the newspaper front page up in front of her on the bar.  
  
"That" Luffy said, pointing at the picture of the casino and grinning from ear to ear "is going to be my big score.  
  
Makino glanced over the article. "Clark Dell's new Raindinners casino in Alabasta?"  
  
Luffy laughed "Yep. I'm gonna head out tomorrow to get a crew. Yasopp's son, he's on my list. And old man Zeff, you remember him, he'll supply the heist, I think. I kinda wrecked a bit of his restaurant last time I was up there, but I worked it off, so I think he forgives me…"  
  
It was almost night by the time Luffy had finished laying out his plan. It called for a crew of seven to ten. Luffy knew a few places to look, had a few people he could call. But it was still going to need a hell of a lot of luck to be pulled off.  
  
Not that this was anything new when it came to Luffy's plans, truth be told.  
   
  
At the Headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sergeant Tashigi took a deep breath as she walked down the hall to her chief's office. She had gotten a memo to come at 10 A.M. sharp, and quote "not be late or it's your ass." end quote. She might've been offended, but that was how the chief talked to everyone. From beat cops to governors, he didn't care who he offended, he said what he wanted, when he wanted, and didn't beat around the bush with what he called "jackass chatter."  
  
To be honest, Tashigi was proud to work under him. She was proud to work in the Corps, if truth be told. It was a rare, rare thing for a woman to even be accepted to training, let alone make sergeant. To her knowledge, she was only the third woman to even be accepted. One of the other women had been killed off duty, and the other had made captain, through some marvel of hard work and determination. She was sure that rumor she heard about Captain Hina punching out a captain for calling a premature withdrawal during a bust was grossly exaggerated.   
  
Besides, her chief was something of a legend. As a rookie, he had helped capture Gold Roger, actually encountering the famous thief and being the one to cuff him after Roger surrendered.   
  
Tashigi came to the door of the office. She could smell her chief's cigars from here. Tashigi noted a clock on the wall that read 9:59 and smiled briefly before knocking on the door three times as the clock ticked away to 10 o' clock.  
  
"Come in." barked a gravelly voice from behind the oak door. Tashigi opened the door to her chief's office, took a deep breath, and went in.  
  
"Close the door, Tashigi." Came the voice from behind a cloud of cigar smoke. She closed it and stood with her arms behind her back.  
  
"Captain Smoker, you wanted to see me?" Tashigi stared straight ahead and kept her back straight. There were no chairs in Smoker's office besides his. He thought chairs made his men soft.   
  
"Yeah, I did. The higher ups have given us a new assignment. They think that Clark Dell's new cash cow might be a big target for any two-bit mug with a plan and a gang. So, we're shipping out to go play watchdog over it." The curtain of smoke cleared a bit, and Tashigi noticed that her chief did not look pleased by this assignment. Granted, Smoker wore a perpetual scowl, but if one looked carefully, one could tell when he was actually pissed as opposed to naturally grumpy.   
  
"Doesn't Dell have his own security, captain?" Tashigi asked him carefully.  
  
"Sure does. But, he's a crook, is men are crooks, and as you can imagine, ain't too reliable. Besides, and this doesn't leave this office, Dell's one of those crooks the government's making deals with, him and six others. So the higher ups wanna guard their interests." Smoker ground out his cigar in disgust as he spoke.   
  
Tashigi nodded "I understand, captain."  
  
Smoker lit another cigar. "Good. Now get outta here. We're too busy to be standing around."  
  
Tashigi nodded and walked out. "Yes, captain."  
  
  
In Rainbase, Alabasta Clark Dell lit a cigar that cost more than most people's houses and looked out the window of his spacious office over the casino. His personal assistant, Nico Robin, stood behind him in a smart looking strapless purple dress under a snow-white fur coat.   
  
"So, the Feds want to watch this casino, Nico, is that right? Presumably for thieves trying to get in." He said, without turning.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Dell." Said the woman in the purple dress.  
  
"Hm. Our security is in place, of course?"   
  
"Yes."  
  
"Good. The Feds will come, see a mostly legit and very secure gambling facility, and be gone. Understood?"  
  
"Yes. Our men will be ready for anything. After all, its what we pay them for."  
  
He turned then, and smiled, with teeth as white as bones on the desert floor clamped around his cigar.  
  
"A grand opening, isn't it, Nico?" he said with a voice as smooth as eroded rocks.  
  
"Yes it is, Mr. Dell." Nico said with a quiet little smile.   
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Hahaha, I sure get a lot of questions in the reviews for this fic. Maybe that means I'm a bad writer? o_O   
  
Q. How is a one armed thief better off than a one armed pirate?  
  
A. TB Shanks is a conman. He needs to be forgettable so he can pull off con after con. A one armed man sticks out like the sore thumb he doesn't have any more. Secondly, for the daring thief who needs to carry money bags with one hand, and shoot, open windows for escape, swing from ropes, with the other, one arm is bad. Meanwhile, Shanks the pirate has a whole crew who can work the ship for him. All he needs to do is fight, and say "Hey, let's go there." Shanks can fight, we know this from Mihawk. And he can tell people where to go. Yes, I realize a captain's duties are more than that…in real life. But this is One Piece. Reality stretches like Luffy's cheek when he wants to freak people out.  Shanks crew isn't going to get rid of him if he doesn't work around the ship. They're nakama, and nakama don't do that.  
  
Q. Shouldn't it be Lucky Lou?  
  
A. Well, I always heard Roo or Roux. I like Roo because it looks jollier to me. Weird I know, but there you are. Shiru-san had this nice review backing up my choice…but she posted it on the wrong fic :) Here it is:  
  
"According to RED, it's Lucky Roo. Before Red came out though, people had spelled it Lucky Roux (red in french) which is probably what Oda was going for anyway, so that's also generally considered "fanon"."  
  
Q. Will there be Devil Fruit powers?  
  
A. Devil Fruit powers will not be used here, because I don't think they make much sense in the context of the story.   
  
Q. Ah! This is an AU Alabasta Arc, isn't it?  
  
A. Yes! Way to go, clever reader!   
  
I thought that Crocodile looked like the sort of sleazy casino owner our intrepid thieves would steal from in this type of flick, so I used him. Besides, some members of BW lend themselves so well to the gangster style, in a Dick Tracy sort of way. Oh, and Clark Dell comes from my HK One Piece discs. I thought it would be a neat and clever little alias. Yes, I am a cheeky fic writer.   
  
Oh, and much obliged to Shiru-san for helping me out with the names of various spots in the OP world. You rule.  
   
Next chapter: Now that the three sides are set, its time for Luffy to start gathering his crew…


	5. Chapter 4: Zoro the Knife

Talking Blues  
By Chou  
  
Chapter 4 – Zoro the Knife  
  
A dusty truck the color of an old treasure chest and bearing a faded sign on the side that read "Rare Animal Emporium" pulled up to the Morgan City limits.   
  
"This is as far as I can take ya, mac." Said the driver, a short, heavily tanned man with a bush of unkempt greenish hair on his head.  
  
"Thanks!" Monkey D. Luffy said as he jumped out the passenger side door, his traveling pack slung over one shoulder and his straw hat firmly on his head. Not having a car himself, he always had to hitchhike where he wanted to go. He waved cheerily as the car pulled away before setting off into the city, looking for lunch, a new ride, and maybe someone to add to his crew, in that order.  
  
  
Morgan City was a rough place. The commissioner was a corrupt egomaniac, the cops were forced to follow his whims, and the mayor was a non-entity.  
  
If you grew up there, you got real tough real quick. And the green haired man in the black slacks and white t-shirt stalking along the street was one of the toughest of the tough. His name was Roronoah Zoro, and when he was looking for trouble, trouble ran.  
  
Zoro had taken care of himself for as long as he could remember. Nobody knew much about his parents, except that they weren't around. He had lived on the streets, fought dogs for food, and learned how to walk by having to avoid cops. He had quickly become the strongest of the street urchins, and was unchallenged in his leadership of their unofficial gang.  
  
Until he met her.  
  
Kuina's family was her dad; her mom was somewhere out there. They didn't have much, but made a living running a small gym on the corner. Rumors had it that her dad had been something of a legend among thugs for his knife fighting, although his kindly smile and nerdy glasses tended to deflate that rumor. He had taught Kuina everything he knew about fighting, and as Zoro had found out when he tried to steal some candy from her, that was a lot.  
  
She looked a lot like a boy back then, a skinny sissy boy, and Zoro had assumed that's what she was when he picked her as a mark. Zoro learned that day that even a skinny sissy could be trouble with a well-placed kick. That had started a feud, a rivalry unmatched in the history of the urchins. Every day, they would fight, and every day she would win. It became worse when puberty hit and Zoro realized she was a girl. He would try twice as hard one day, three times the next, and still lose. But each loss taught him something, honed his own abilities. And occasionally, Kuina's dad would give him some dinner, or a warm bed. It was a comfortable agreement, almost a friendship.  
  
And then one day, the news came. A car had hit her while she was traveling to their fight. Nobody had ever seen Zoro so angry. He ranted and raved and trashed everything in sight. Eventually, Kuina's dad took him to the gym to have a talk.  
  
"Zoro…I want you to have this." He said, pulling a bundle wrapped in cloth from his pocket. "I wanted Kuina to have this, but now…well, that can't happen." He said, and his eyes misted slightly and his voice choked.  
  
Zoro unwrapped the bundle. Inside was a switchblade, with a handle whiter than the freshest snow. He flicked out the blade. It was steel perfection.  
  
"It's my old knife…take care of it, Zoro. It was her one desire in the world, to inherit that knife…maybe this way, you two can be together forever."  
  
Zoro nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks. Then he turned and walked out of the gym, knife in his pocket. Now, ten years later, he was the most feared fighter, weapons or fists, in the city. He had felt that he owed Kuina no less.  
  
  
Zoro was snapped out of his reminiscing when he realized someone was calling to him. He looked around. Two guys in scruffy clothes, one wearing sunglasses, were running up to him.   
  
"Bro! Hey, Zoro! Bro!" they called.  
  
"Oi, Yosaku. Johnny. What's the good word?"   
  
Johnny went first. "Ok, there's this new guy who just rolled into town, you dig? His name's Monkey D. Luffy. You heard of him?"  
  
Zoro shrugged. "Nope. Why? He looking for a fight?"  
  
It was Yosaku's turn. "No, boss, better! He's a grifter, and he's looking for guys for a big score! A huge score! We missed out on joining by a paper thin margin, but we said we'd bring you to see him!"  
  
Zoro arched an eyebrow. "What makes you think I'd be interested?"  
  
They were silent a bit after that, as they tried to think of a good reason.  
  
"Um…because you're bored?" Johnny ventured hopefully.  
  
Zoro scowled "Fine. Take me to see this Luffy cat. Where is he?"  
  
"He's at the gym! We left Coby with him to keep him company till we could get you." Yosaku said cheerfully.  
  
Zoro sighed and followed them.  
  


  
Back at the gym…  
  
"So you wanna be a cop, huh? Hahaha, that's weird coming from a street urchin!" Luffy said around a mouthful of food to the small, bookish looking kid sitting in a cringe in front of him.  
  
"Even if it is, I still want to be a cop, and uphold justice! Maybe someday I'll even make it into the FCI!" Coby said with as much indignation as he could muster, which admittedly wasn't much.   
  
"Haha, that's good kid! Always follow a dream and you can never go wrong!" Luffy said and slapped Coby on the back so hard the boy's glasses nearly flew off.  
  
"Oi. You wanted to see me?" came a rough voice from the doorway. Luffy looked up and grinned.  
  
"Hey, you must be that Zoro guy! What's shakin'?"  
  
"What do you want?" Zoro said as he came in.   
  
Luffy deftly threw a newspaper at Zoro, who caught it one handed. "I'm looking for some good guys for a heist. A BIIIIIIG heist. By the way, nice catch. Those two guys didn't even make that!" Luffy said with a grin, pointing at an embarrassed Yosaku and Johnny.  
  
Zoro read the headline. "What the hell's an Alabaster?" he said, arching an eyebrow at Luffy.  
  
"Hahaha, y'know, I'm not too sure. I know it's a place, and I heard the country's real tough! But anyway, the casino's the important part. So, what do ya say? The payoff's big, and I could use a guy with muscle and all." Luffy grinned hopefully at the frowning Zoro.  
  
Zoro thought about it. For all of a second.   
  
"No." 

Luffy's face fell. "Aw, why not?" he said, sounding remarkably like a kid.  
  
Zoro shrugged. "I just don't want to. Now scram."  
  
Luffy would have argued, had the police not kicked in the door, guns drawn.  
  
"Roronoah Zoro!" one barked "Ye're wanted for questioning, lad."  
  
Zoro's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Says you, pal."  
  
The cops' fingers tightened on their triggers. "Aye, says us. Now hands up, be a good lad. Ye had to have known that Chief Helmeppo wasn't going to let you hurtin' his dog slide."  
  
Luffy looked at Zoro. "You hurt a dog? That's mean. I ain't so sure I want you on my crew then."  
  
Zoro growled at Luffy. "Butt out, grifter."  
  
Yosaku, Johnny, and Coby peeked their heads out of their hiding places.  
  
"Zoro, you hurt a dog!?" Coby said, shocked.  
  
"Hey, it wasn't like that!" Yosaku shouted.  
  
"Yeah, it was gonna bite this poor little girl!" Johnny added, before a sharp glance from Zoro sent them hiding again.  
  
Luffy nodded sagely. "Ah, ok, that's different then…" he brightened up. "Okay Zoro, you're back in my crew!"  
  
Zoro glared at him harder. "I didn't say I joined, asshole!"  
  
Luffy waved a hand dismissively. "Eh, I don't bother with the small details like that."  
  
"All right, enough of the chatter! Hands up, you're coming with us, Zoro!" another cop yelled, cutting into the conversation.  
  
Silence reigned. Luffy scratched the side of his nose, looking interestedly back and forth between Zoro and the police officers  
  
Zoro cracked his knuckles, then his neck. His hands strayed near his pockets, relaxed, ready.  
  
"Is that a fact?" he said with a voice like a razor.  
  
Hell broke loose shortly after.  
  
  
Author's Notes:   
   
Meet AU Zoro. AU Zoro, everyone, everyone, AU Zoro.   
  
Obviously, some stuff's been changed around, but that's what AU fics are for. Zoro needed a gang, and who better than the dynamic duo of Yosaku and Johnny? Coby's here because this is basically the Morgan part of the series, before the Alabasta heist. Why? Cause I like Luffy and Zoro's first meeting.  
  
Oh, and the cops are supposed to be Irish sounding. Because hey, most cops were back then, so it fits into the time period. That, and I like the Irish. Good folks.  
  
Luffy saying the country's real tough is a pun. See the country "has a lot of sand." which can also mean, "has a lot of guts/balls/cojones/etc." If you figured this out beforehand, kudos.  
  
Oh, and word to the wise: don't try to tell me its Roronoa. I won't listen :) I like the look and sound of Roronoah, I think the "ah" adds a masculine oomph to the name, and I won't hear differently. Not trying to be snarky here, just trying to save someone the time typing "But so-and-so source says its Roronoa."  
  
Dedicated to Nik-san, for being kind enough to write me when I'm bored, and for being my first "I need new fic chapters, please!" email for this fic.   
  
Dedicated to Bobby Darin, for Mack the Knife.  
   
Next chapter: Zoro and Luffy take the fight to the boys in blue and city hall, but will Zoro join Luffy's crew?  
  
Yeah, probably. Duh :)


	6. Chapter 5: The Commish

Talking Blues  
By Chou  
  
Chapter 5 – The Commish  
  
"Is that a fact?" he said with a voice like a razor.  
  
"He" was Roronoah Zoro, thug, brawler, and all around bad cat. He was addressing the cops that had busted into his gym to arrest him for no good reason.   
  
Well, no recent good reason.  
  
His hands drifted to the pockets of his black slacks, and to the switchblade he kept in there for just such an occasion. Sure, the cops had guns, but that had never stopped Zoro before.  
  
Before he could make his move though, he saw the grifter who called himself Luffy walk in between him and the cops.  
  
"Hey, hold up a second, officers." Luffy said in a cheerful voice. "I'm sure this is just a misundertaking."   
  
The cops stared at him, puzzled. Zoro's stare was a puzzle too, only the pieces had razors for edges and made a picture of a knife when you put them together.  
  
"What're you doing?" he growled at Luffy, who turned and flashed him a large grin and a wink before turning back to the officers.  
  
"So, officers sirs, why are you arresting my pal here?" Luffy said with a cheerful, innocent grin.  
  
"Step aside, lad. This doesn't concern ye. We've got orders from the chief to bring him in for questioning." replied one of the cops  
  
"Yeah, wit a rubber hose." snickered another, before Zoro's glare shut him up.  
  
"So…I can't convince you otherwise then, officers?" said Luffy hopefully.  
  
The first cop shook his head and tightened his grip on his service revolver.   
  
"Move, or ye're going in with him, lad." he said.  
  
Luffy sighed. "Ok then. Guess its plan B."  
  
Zoro, who had reflexes like a rattlesnake and eyes like a hawk, barely saw Luffy's leg whip up between the cop's legs like snapped rubber band. All the air went out of the cop and he doubled over, tears of pain welling in his eyes. The other cop only stared in shock, which gave Luffy plenty of time to whip an arm around and punch him. The cop's head banged into the wall and he slumped to the floor, unconscious.  
  
Zoro looked from one unconscious cop to the other, and arched an eyebrow at Luffy, who was dusting off his hands. Yosaku, Johnny, and Coby were making shocked little choking noises, their eyes bugging.  
  
"Where'd you learn to fight like that, grifter?" Zoro said appraisingly.  
  
Luffy laughed "I live in a bar, so I've had to break up a few brawls. And the guy I respect most in the world, he taught me too."  
  
Zoro grunted. "Most guys live in bars, the only thing they fight's being sober. Huh. Lot dirtier than I would've thought, looking at you."  
  
The mutual admiration was interrupted by the sound of a car peeling away at high speeds. Zoro cursed over his breath.  
  
"Forgot about the guy outside."  
  
Luffy shrugged. "Eh, no biggie. We can be out of town before they get back."  
  
"We?" Zoro gave him the razor stare.  
  
Luffy ignored it. "Yeah. C'mon." he said cheerfully.  
  
Zoro waved him off. "I ain't never ran from a fight, and I ain't starting now. Sides, I leave, and those pigs'll make hell for everyone."  
  
Luffy shrugged. "Ok, what do we do then?"  
  
Zoro smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. It was an "I just ate your dog." kind of smile. Luffy almost took a step back before Zoro spoke.  
  
"We go to see the commish."  
  
  
Meanwhile, at Police Headquarters …  
  
"Coffeeeeee! I want some good coffeeee! Somebody better give me some coffee or I'll report them to the Commissioner! With donuts! I want coffee with donuts!"  
  
Sergeant Helmeppo pointed in what could charitably be called an imperious way at various officers of the law.   
  
He might've gotten the coffee and donuts if the front door hadn't been kicked in.  
  
Several dozen officers drew their service revolvers and aimed them at the door by reflex.  
  
Then they saw Zoro's smile.  
  
"You cupcakes can shoot me…but it'll just piss me off." Zoro said. One by one, the policemen lowered their guns uncertainly. Luffy walked in behind Zoro and grabbed a donut from a nearby table.  
  
Helmeppo came out from behind the desk he had hidden behind.   
  
"Shoot him! I'll tell my daddy, er, the commissioner! SHOOT THEM BOTH!" he shouted.  
  
Nobody saw Zoro throw the knife. It just seemed to move from his body to pin Helmeppo's shirt to the wall without covering the space in between. Helmeppo fainted almost instantly. The police officers paid too much attention to that, because in moments, Zoro was among them, his fists, knees, and elbows lashing out with an inhuman viciousness. Luffy bowled into them a moment later, a dervish of fists.  
  
Between the two of them, they knocked out or otherwise incapacitated several dozen armed police officers in a matter of moments.   
  
Zoro walked over to where Helmeppo had recovered from his faint just in time to come face to face with someone braver men wet themselves at. Zoro grabbed a fistful of gaudy shirtfront.  
  
"Where's the Commish?" he growled.   
  
The door to the Commissioner's Office was kicked open. A hulking figure stepped out of the cracked doorframe. In one hand was a large hatchet. In theory, it had been used to bust open liquor barrels during Prohibition. In theory.  
  
"Here I am, punk. You want a piece of the great one?" Commissioner "Hatchet Hand" Morgan growled, "Come get it." He charged.  
  
"You son of a…" Zoro turned from Helmeppo and tugged his knife from the wall. Morgan's charge was stopped short; a well-thrown chair shattering against Morgan's head saw to that. And then Luffy was on the stunned commissioner like a monkey. Morgan took a swing and missed, catching only Luffy's feet in his face as his reward. Luckily, a desk broke his fall as he flew backwards.  
  
"Damn it…" Morgan growled as he got back to his feet "I'm Commissioner Morgan! Who the hell are you!"  
  
"Monkey D. Luffy. Nice to meetcha." Luffy said cheerfully. Then he tackled Morgan hard and started punching.  
  
"Stooooooop!" rang out a shrill voice that was only male by the loosest definitions.   
  
Luffy punched the bloodied Morgan again.  
  
"I said stoooop!" Helmeppo screeched. He had a shaking revolver pointed at Coby, Yosaku, and Johnny. They had snuck in to watch the fight unnoticed, not too long ago. It was bad timing for them, but it always was.  
  
Zoro got ready to move. Helmeppo saw it.  
  
"Don't move, dirtbag! One wrong step, or if he keeps hitting my dad, and I'll plug these jokers!" he cried.  
  
Luffy stood up and walked a bit from Morgan's battered form. He looked at the rubble on the floor carefully, then at Helmeppo, then finally at Zoro. Zoro looked back, and an unspoken agreement passed between them. Helmeppo only noticed that they weren't paying attention to him.  
  
"Hey! I'll shoot them!" he screamed. "Pay atten…huh?" he stopped in mid screech. Morgan had risen to his feet and was preparing to drive his hatchet through Luffy's back. Time froze for a second.  
  
Then, quick as a flash, Luffy reached down, snatched up a paperweight from the ruins of the desk, and flung it hard at Helmeppo's head as Zoro's dashed past Morgan and skidded to a stop on the floor.   
  
Helmeppo sunk to the floor, unconscious.  
  
"Hey, Zoro…thanks." Luffy said without turning and grinned.  
  
Morgan fell back, the knife cut in his side non-fatal, but bleeding badly.  
  
"No problem…boss." Zoro snapped the blade of his switchblade back into the handle in a deft movement.  
  
And they walked out Police Headquarters side by side.  
  
  
Author's Notes:   
   
Well, it's been a long time since I've done a chapter, hey? Sorry for the wait, folks, but writer's block's a pain.  
  
Next chapter: That bad cat Zoro's hooked up with Luffy, but which swinging crewmate is next? It might not be who you think it is… 


End file.
